Dr. Arpiar Saunders

Left to right: Laurence Trussell Ph.D., Natalie Sheldon, Chengli Fang Ph.D., Jumi Park Ph.D. and Eric Gouaux Ph.D.; Cathy Spangler Ph.D. is not pictured.

For the first time, scientists using #cryoelectron microscopy have discovered the structure and shape of key receptors connecting #neurons in the brain’s cerebellum, which plays a critical role in functions such as coordinating movement, balance and cognition. #OHSUResearch bit.ly/4b9gOw9

Portland, OR showing OUT for #nokings. To hamper a guess - 30,000, maybe more? - saying hell no to Trump et al in a wonderful and humorous way. So tough to distill a protest sign to dissent against such a broad collection of despicable policies…I went with #TrumpIsGarbage

No exaggeration, the protest march had probably close to two miles long of wall-to-wall people walking at once

N.I.H. Workers Denounce Trump’s ‘Harmful’ Health Policies

New York Times story about #BethedaDeclaration is up.

(Gift Link)

www.nytimes.com/2025/06/09/h...

Outstanding op-ed from Carole LaBonne

Universities and the government: Which needs the other more?

College-based research labs are the workhorses of national progress and prosperity.

wapo.st/3ZR1vFm

1/n

Distinct functional domains of Dystroglycan regulate inhibitory synapse formation and maintenance in cerebellar Purkinje cells Communications Biology - Genetic manipulation of functional domains on Dystroglycan reveals distinct developmental roles in inhibitory synapse formation and maintenance in cerebellar cortex.

www.nature.com/articles/s42...

FlyBase funding squashed amid Harvard grant terminations The team behind the Drosophila genetics database is now requesting donations from labs to keep the resource afloat.

FlyBase, a crucial resource for drosophila research, has lost its funding because its grant is awarded to Harvard. The team is scrambling to find other sources of funds, including donations from labs. Read more: www.thetransmitter.org/community/fl... @flybase.bsky.social

How can you know if gene delivery in a primate worked Typically through expensive scans or histology. With
@vincentcostaphd.bsky.social
and co-authors we made synthetic markers that monitor gene delivery and Cre-dependent expression with a blood test:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Cutting the NIH—The $8 Trillion Health Care Catastrophe This JAMA Forum discusses the recent budget cuts to National Institutes of Health (NIH), the effects of these cuts on scientific research and health of individuals in the US, and the prospects for cha...

"Our calculations suggest that the proposed budgetary cuts to the NIH will create a social cost that is 16 times greater than the savings that the administration is attempting to achieve."
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

I am deeply furious. Lost an expected baby last fall (harrowing in GA because of bad abortion laws) and now any future pregnancy I may be able to have is higher risk because I can’t get this safe effective vaccine. Insult to injury, AGAIN. These rules are terrible for families.

@kennypavan.com's AnnSQL software for facile, lightning-fast analysis of large-scale scRNA-seq datasets is out now in @bioinfoadv.bsky.social. >19k downloads thus far and we'd love to grow the developer base. Easily analyze millions of RNA profiles from your laptop. No HPC necessary!

Portland physics student flees Trump crackdown, months from earning his doctorate “People need to know that this is happening, and this is wrong,” the man’s physics supervisor at Portland State University said.

www.oregonlive.com/education/20...

Nobel laureate: I owe America my success. Today, its scientific future is in danger | CNN Dr. Ardem Patapoutian says he watches “with deep sadness as the United States’ remarkable scientific enterprise, which took generations of hard work and national investment to build, faces a concerted...

Published an op-ed for @cnn.com: “Nobel laureate: I owe America my success. Today, its scientific future is in danger.”
A personal reflection on what’s at stake as science funding gets slashed. I’d be grateful if you could amplify both in and beyond the science world.
www.cnn.com/2025/04/09/h...

If you’re a scientist whose funding has recently been cut or impacted, I would love to interview you and amplify your work!

Hoping to release our first two podcast episodes next week.

Please share widely!

Ended up in tiny Tillamook, OR this weekend with the fam and was heartened to join hundreds of #handsoff protesters. I’d say 85% positive car responses in a county that went 50/50 in November.

In recognition of an extraordinary track record of intra and extramural dopamine fluffing at the @volluminstitute.bsky.social

Knowing me, knowing you, ahhhhhhhhhh

Noted

Please check out AnnSQL v1 if you’re working with large single-cell/nucleus RNA-seq datasets! Blazing fast! New features!

We need to make sure that everyone understands how important science is for EVERYONE not just for scientists...

Scientists warn of long-term damage as Trump’s orders slow research By blocking announcements in the Federal Register, the administration is keeping experts from meeting to evaluate funding proposals.

Deep and thoughtful reporting on the crises of the NIH funding and review blocks. Share locally, share widely. And make sure your reps know!

www.washingtonpost.com/science/2025...

NIH funding freeze stalls applications on $1.5 billion in medical research funds The National Institutes of Health had to stop considering new grant applications, delaying funding for research into diseases ranging from heart disease and cancer to Alzheimer's and allergies.

The National Institutes of Health had to stop considering new grant applications, delaying funding for research into diseases ranging from heart disease and cancer to Alzheimer's and allergies.

If you are a journalist--this should be your biggest story. Musk is denying hope to patients who have exhausted all other options 🧪

RIP Dr. Bat. May your paths always be ramped and your doors and windows open. Sending love to the Tut et al family

Experts Call NIH Budget Cuts an 'Apocalypse' for Science The reductions target indirect costs that cover administrative and equipment costs.

I have been talking to the media, Time, Fortune, NBC, etc., to explain how the onslaught on science and NIH will impact the health of all Americans. Everyone knows someone who has cancer, heart disease, or depression. Spread the word about how cutting science impacts all.
time.com/7216299/nih-...

not paying indirect costs for research is like only paying the players in the Super Bowl.

can't have a Super Bowl without coaches, referees, security, janitors, announcers, stadium staff, and a stadium - and you can't have research without supporting people and facilities

Apologies for this long post I put together to explain to non-scientists the impact of NIH cuts: Last night, an “atomic bomb” was dropped on the biomedical science community. We were informed that effective immediately, indirect costs on NIH grants (both current and future) would be fixed at 15%.

We just have to fight and scream and challenge the legality of this. All hands on deck. Whose family hasn’t benefited from modern medicine???